Struggling to Get Things Done
Posted on: May 7, 2008
I should begin by clarifying that I always get some things done, maybe even a lot of things done, but often not the things on my list.
There are days when I forget to even look at my lists (yes, plural); these are the days when I think I suffer from ADD. Then there are the days when I look at my list and feel overwhelming anxiety; these are the days when I think I need medication (real medication, not chocolate or wine).
Occasionally, I manage to look at the lists and actually make progress, happily checking things off and feeling productive. These are the days I think I’m perfectly okay.
I fantasize that there are zillions of people out there cheerfully and efficiently breezing through their to-do’s with time to spare . . . living lives brimming with order, serenity and peace of mind. Are there?
10 Responses to "Struggling to Get Things Done"
May 7, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Vered: Someone, somewhere must have it all together! or maybe not, considering the number of books and blogs dedicated to the subject . . . .
May 7, 2008 at 11:06 pm
“Chaos” is the word I would substitute for “clutter” out here……that’s the beauty of it………if our world were in perfect order, day in and day out, the predictability would have been boring………rather we love challenges and chaos presents us exactly that…and we love that……a duel between a circumstance and our adaptibilty….
May 8, 2008 at 5:52 am
Hi Roushan, I guess my need for order is stronger than my need for excitement at this point in my life . . . thanks for visiting.
May 8, 2008 at 10:27 am
Hey, there. Have you heard about the book CrazyBusy by Ned Hallowell? He’s the premier go-to gu for adult ADD, but he’s also documented the increasing commonness of ADD-like symptoms in non-ADD people.
Fascinating stuff! Good news is, you’re perfectly normal. There’s too much for ALL of us to do and it can be daunting. I’ve been impressed by the strides you’re making in your home. Way to go, grrrl! Don’t forget to take time out for you.
May 8, 2008 at 10:46 am
I do believe that modern life can make you feel frazzled and out of control. I will check out the book – and thanks for the compliment about my progress!
May 15, 2008 at 2:12 am
I can fully understand your feelings, and they are not very different from mine. There are days when I’m happily getting off one thing after the other from my list, feeling that I can do it. And there are days when I am thinking I will never make it – getting all the old books away, throwing away the old and never to be used again things in my cupboard and so on. But isn’t this normal?
May 15, 2008 at 5:06 am
Ulla,
I’m not sure what “normal” is . . . maybe my fantasy that everyone else is living an orderly life where everything gets done on time and their homes are perfectly tidy and organized is really unrealistic.
Or perhaps something in the middle should be my goal.
May 27, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Ha, well I’ve never met anyone who breezes through their list. In the words of Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean, my lists are “more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules”.
May 27, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Often very general guidelines in my case! But I have to believe that there are people out there who do a bit better. Who knows? Maybe all the gurus and experts are living among old pizza boxes and unpaid bills . . .
One Bag Nation 
May 7, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Are you kidding? We are all slobs, just trying to get by.
Seriously.